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Cerros de Amotape

The principal aim of the Cerros de Amotape National Park is to protect the natural areas of the dry-tropical forests in the northwest.This National Park of 91,300 hectares. is located in the departments of Tumbes and Piura, in the provinces of TumbesIt is the only Protected Natural Area in Peru, where the ecoregion of the equatorial dry-forest is preserved. It has 4 living zones with a diversity of vegetal associations, being the ceiba, the chaparral, and the carob trees the most abundant.In this area, the following species can be registered: 44 tree species, 47 shrub-like, 61 ground herbaceous, 12 creeping or climbing, 6 parasitic, 7 tree-shaped or column-shaped cactaceae, 7 bromeliads and 12 epiphitic, including 4 varieties of orchids. Some tree species such as cedar (Cedrela sp.), ebony (Ziziphus thyrsiflora), guaiacum (Tabebuia billbergii), golden trumpet (Tabebuia chrysantha), hualtaco (Loxopterygium huasango) and lignum vitae (Bursera graveolens) are endangered species. The wild fauna has species from different regions: from the tropical forest, from arid zones, and from the Andean mountain range.



Approximately 100 species have been also recorded, including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The most popular are the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa), the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the red brocket (Mazama americana), the collared peccary or sajino (Tayassu tajacu) and the Guayaquil squirrel (Sciurus stramineus). As for the archaeological remains, there are important monuments from different cultures such as Guineal, ModroƱo and Platanal, as well as other remains still to be determined. The Cerros de Amotape National Park, as well as the El Angolo Game Preserve and Tumbes Reserved Zone, have made up the Northwest Biosphere Reserve, which was recognized in 1977 by the UNESCO's Program on Man and the Biosphere. It aims at strengthening actions for the preservation of dry forests in the protected areas in the north of Peru, as well as promoting sustainable development in the buffer zone through the sustainable use of natural resources and other compatible productive activities.